If there’s one thing you have to give junodream credit for, it’s their attempt to stand out from the crowd. In what seems like a bottomless pool of indie talent writing solely about their booze-filled weekend escapades, junodream’s songwriting is more concerned with the emotional and physical spaces widening between people and the feelings that come with the disparity. The band based in Brixton dub the purpose of their first LP as documenting, “the insignificance of the contemporary human experience”, and the songs present explore a wide range of topics. From an abusive relationship to a drunk driver being abducted by an alien, to experiencing escapism in your dreams and doom-scrolling on your phone amongst a backdrop of insomnia.
There’s a chance that junodream could bite off more than they could chew by focusing on a wide range of concepts on their first attempt. Thankfully though, the songwriting often brilliant, making potentially eye-rolling or pretentious topics of choice more relatable without feeling watered down.
First song on the bill ‘Fever Dream’ is one of the strongest openers for a debut in recent years, exploring dystopian themes — “Feel the light/Fasten your headsets” — amongst a Radiohead-esque instrumental. Both rhythm and lead guitarists strut their stuff here, blending acoustic riffs and futuristic electric playing to create something richly atmospheric. In just under four minutes the self-proclaimed ‘Dream Rock’ band explore a multitude of different textures and tones, while simultaneously making a cohesive and intricate track. Seriously impressive stuff.
It’s initially surprising that ‘Fever Dream’ wasn’t a single, but in fairness it faced stiff competition. The strongest of the bunch, ‘Kitchen Sink Drama’ continues the trend of Radiohead influences with strikingly similarities to ‘Jigsaw Falling Into Place’ due to its moody chord progression. This is a debut album though, and it’s likely the band will wear their influences on their sleeves. That’s excusable if the tracks attempt to live up to their influences with inspired performances, which ‘Kitchen Sink Drama’ immediately does. Exploring the topic of an abusive relationship and the claustrophobic feeling it evokes — “Trying to find a home/It keeps on falling down/Leaves me all alone” — lead singer Ed Vyvyan’s performance shines in the latter half as the track boils over, emulating the relationship it describes.
The album tracks are often excellent too, with ‘Sit in the Park’ possessing a wailing lead guitar to help paint a picture of isolation that Vyvyan describes. Meanwhile ‘Lullaby’ is potentially the strongest track lyrically, “Cats on the rooftop singing, trying to seduce the moon/And in this godless hour I wish for silence”. The lyrics of contemporary anxieties are covered with a tender instrumental; gentle bass lines and luscious acoustic strums permeate the track that is vivid with warmth.
However, the anxiety expressed doesn’t lend itself to the album closer, ‘The Oranges’ as the band get further into shoegaze territory. The guitar tones on display are lavish and sonically rich, meanwhile lyrics describe finding escapism through your own dreams, “Another world revolves your head when you start yawning”. When played at full blast it’s engulfing in its noise; an enchanting way to end your first album.
‘pools of colour’ seeks to speak to the contemporary human experience and it does so with an ooze of confidence rarely found on a debut album. Conceptually and instrumentally vivid, junodream’s first outing has emotions and ideas that bleed brilliantly into every track. The Brixton boys have built themselves a stage to let their artistry flow; now it is time to take a step back and watch it flourish.
Words by Niall McGreevy